Most young ladies at least of my decade know what a hope chest is, it something that has really disappeared from our society to some degree, but it still exist. I remembered when I moved to one area I lived in the young ladies all seem to be making a hope chest, and were even planning out their household items in the since of dishes and silverware. A special set to be used after each young lady got married. I found it odd to plan this far in advance for marriage, never figuring on marrying young, I plan to have apartment move in live there awhile before marrying. Oh plans do fade when you meet Mr Right. The idea was of the hope chest was to even have sheets embrodiery or special designed along with the blankets and spread. Now there was always speciality items as well. This hope chest was for that special someone that would marry the girl hopefully of his dreams. It was for the initial housekeeping items that were essential to getting marriage off on the right foot as far as necessities to housekeeping. Often heirlooms were passed down from mother, grandmother, or aunt to the girl for the future couple's future home. It was a treasure chest of goodies. The hope was when the perfect match was found that the hope chest would be filled with all things needed. It was not filled in a day or even month it would be filled over time of several years. A very old tradition and still reverence in some communities or families. Actually a nice tradition.

Hope chest a symbol of the perfect bride to be, the woman ready for a mate, a woman ready to take on wifely responsibilities in the home. When the man and woman married all the things that wife would use to make that home a home would be already decided upon and the man was suppose to provide a solid house or building in which to live in was his duty, the burden not being solely on the woman to make their home inhabitable. Then after the marriage came that settling in with all those things treasured and saved by the bride. Then came her responsibility to be a wife that provided for her family, showed hospitality and even making money from things she baked and made. The perfect wife caring for her man. The hope of husband was she be more then just his lover, but a mother to his children and provider in times of need, as well as taking what he earned and making a home to come to after a hard day at work. His hope his desire and not just a want of a lover, she would be his best friend and care for his children.

The talent of wivery is not always seen in our world, with both men and women working outside the home. It matter not if your work is done at home or outside the home to raise money for living expenses, it still work for the family and the things that are important to you and your family. It not tradition mother stay at home anymore, but both working side by side as a team in some fashion.

What is the hope of Christ for a bride(the church) that being built on the salvatio through his Father's salvation plan. It is to build a church that is functioning in the gifts of the Spirit. Building on the foundation of Christ, building on the foundation of the word of God, the livily hope that grows within each believer. A bride/church that is built by the hand of God, and for his Son Jesus. Not a church of sin, but the bride that knows how to care for the needs of his Son and know his Son knows how to care for the needs of his bride, through love, hope and promise to be. A church that been groomed in love, hope, faith, gentleness, goodness, meekness, longsuffering and so forth. All these things treasured in the heart of every believer being made ready for the kingdom of God. Being ready to be the bride the church of Christ. we learns to lay up treasure worthy of heaven and not treasures that corruptible and destructible, that will not be apart of our life in the kingdom of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, prepare us to be a bride of great worth to you in heaven for Jesus. in Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Matthew 13:52 KJV
52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Matthew 6:19-21 KJV
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.